A Time To Heal
by romulan227
Summary: Sequel-ish to TTigerz's incredible story "Everything is fair, in love and war."  Focuses on the aftermath of the war.  This story is open to outside contributions, so just PM me if interested.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N So this is something of a sequel to TTigerz's amazing story "Everything is fair, in love and war." It focuses on the characters rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the war, and dealing with the things that happened during it. Since there are so many characters, and therefore so many potential stories about them, I am leaving this story open for contributions. Just PM me if you have written anything.**_

_**W.I.T.C.H. Belongs to Disney  
><strong>_

_**G.E.N.I.E. are TTigerz's OC's. Angelo is Lexvan's OC**_

_In Kandrakar_

After the new Guardians had been inaugurated, there was still more business to attend to. Will called Elyon to step forward again.

"Queen Elyon, as you can see, you still have the loyalty of most of your people, and your knights." She said, gesturing behind her. Turning around, Elyon saw a cheering crowd of Meridianites in the stands. Then she saw Drake, Aldarn, Raythor, and Tynar kneeling on one knee, swords pointing toward the ground. "However, I need to speak with you and the two of your knights who were forced to serve Hay Lin."

Elyon nodded. She opened a wide fold. "Raythor, Tynar, lead my people back to Metamoor."

"Yes, my Queen." They answered. The whole crowd of Meridianites filed out of the stands and walked through the fold. It took a while, as there were many. After they were gone, the fold remained open.

Will turned back to Elyon and her remaining knights. "Drake, Aldarn, you may stand now." They stood up, behind their queen. "Queen Elyon, since you awoke today you have no memory of your enthrallment to Hay Lin. Nor do you wish to remember any of it, is that true?"

Elyon hesitated for a few seconds. "…Yes."

"As the Oracle, I can make sure of that, but you are aware that this is nearly four years of your life."

"Yes…" She said, then took a deep breath. "…I'd like to pick up where I left off, if that is possible."

Will nodded. "Drake, Aldarn. You also have no memory."

"We will follow the decision of our queen." Aldarn answered.

"Very well…" Will waved her hand over each of their heads. Irma looked at them with jealousy. *_Lucky*_ she thought.

"You may return to your people." Will said. Elyon bowed her head and walked through the fold with Drake and Aldarn. Phobos followed them, with Nerissa.

Will then opened many folds. "The people of Earth, except those who had already been called forward today, and the families Hale and Lair, may return. Each fold leads to a different location on Earth, but from there you will have to find your way home." Gradually, the stands emptied out as more and more people walked through the various folds.

Those who knew they were to remain did. Cornelia had to leave Angelo and Ehren, and walked over to Bess, tears flowing freely. Looking at her, she could barely speak. "…I...I..." She tried to speak, but could only make a teary moan. She was almost breaking at the knees. A crying Bess rushed to embrace her, not saying a word. She managed to whisper "I'm ssso sorry..." Irma was close behind.

Will addressed the remaining earthlings. "As I told some of you before, healing will take a very long time. It will be a long, hard road…" she said, looking at their faces, full of conflicting emotions. "…but you will heal." Taranee and Ilana found that Nigel was no longer standing with them, but standing next to Uriah, a hand on his shoulder. Matt and Mandy were still sitting together, Matt apparently too weak to stand for an extended period.

After Cornelia and Bess regained their composure, Will spoke again. "Will the appointed watchers of Hay Lin come forward again." Irma and Cornelia again stood in front of Will and the council. She put on a smirk. "I had you going there for a while, didn't I?" She asked.

"Yeah, you got us." Irma admitted. "Couldn't you have just told us that right away?"

"Believe me, I wanted to, but I couldn't reveal Hay Lin's fate prematurely." Will answered. "I also wanted to acknowledge your role in the rebellion during the trial, but the rest of the council did not consider that appropriate. I agreed, after I realized that if I were talk about all the things you did for our side, we would be here all day." The Hales and the Lairs couldn't help but smile at that. "But you should know, the council and I consider the two of you to be among the greatest heroes of this war." They looked at the council members behind Will, who all nodded.

Orube then spoke. "You improved morale in the rebellion. On the battlefield, you met Hay Lin head-on, protecting the rest of the rebels from her power, and ensuring there would be no interference in Will's fight with Yan-Lin. But perhaps most importantly of all: you passed on your knowledge to the new Water and Earth Guardians, and taught them to believe in themselves." Ehren and Edeline couldn't help but fly upwards when they heard that.

Will continued. "The task ahead of you is a challenging one, but I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't think you were up to it." Irma and Cornelia took a deep breath, still trying to take in their new role, and still relieved that they didn't have to guard a prison cell. "However…I have seen inside your minds. Nearly four years of enthrallment has left much damage to be repaired…" They looked at Will, knowing what she said was true, but still confused. After a pause, she continued. "…I know about your nightmares." They both gasped, Irma gulped, preparing for the worst. Cornelia looked at the ground, knowing what she was about to say, after the revelation about Courtney's fate. Angelo was shocked, Andrew less so. "Unfortunately…they are all real. I am also afraid that it's going to get worse before it gets better."

Cornelia sunk, surprised, but at the same time, not surprised. Irma gasped, and started to shake. Will was still not finished. "You will have to make peace with your memories, but this is a burden that you should not have to bear alone. Fortunately, you don't have to. Will Andrew Hornby and Angelo Vanders come forward?" They both did, Andrew took Irma's hand, and Angelo took Cornelia's. Will floated over, standing up, and put a hand on the men's shoulders. "I am giving the two of you the power of hypnosis, so you can reach the deepest regions of your lovers' minds."

Angelo was surprised and confused. "Wait, you want me to control Cornelia, after all this?"

"Far from it." Will answered, addressing him and Andrew. "Where Hay Lin hurt them the most, you will comfort them."

"Well, how are we supposed to do that?" Andrew asked.

"Search your hearts." Was all she would say. She knew that phrase was vague, cryptic, and never immediately helpful, but it had always worked so far.

"Now, will the new owners of the Silver dragon come forward?" Will asked. Martin and Alchemy joined the two couples in front of the council. "Hay Lin will arrive back on Earth in three days. Use that time to prepare the restaurant for re-opening. Irma, Cornelia, use that time to rest and prepare for your task." She bowed her head, signaling for them to move back. They all bowed their heads as well.

The new oracle looked over at the remaining Earthlings. All friends of hers, none of them were strangers. Not just friends, but the most important people in her life. This time it really hit home that she was going to miss them all. She knew that the next words she said to them could be her last for a very long time. "This is the end of a long, dark chapter for all of us. We will not forget what we lost, but it is time for you to return home, and rebuild your lives." She then broke out of her 'regal' tone and said "And I'm gonna miss you all." She then opened a fold to Heatherfield. Looking at the new Guardians, she smiled and said "And I predict interesting times ahead for the five of you…"

They all walked through the fold, each saying their goodbyes. Soon there were only two left. "Go on ahead…" Caleb said to Natasha. She nodded and walked through. He walked up to her. "Will…"

"Caleb…" she said back, looking into his eyes. "…I think I'm going to miss you most of all…" she said, tears almost forming. Then she did something the council members still didn't expect. The Oracle kissed Caleb! Passionately, no less. Some of the council members gasped, but Orube smiled.

"Am I going to see you again…you know, often?" He asked, afraid for her answer.

However, Will only smiled and said "I predict…interesting times ahead…rebel boy."

_**So that's the first chapter. Again, as there are so many characters, contributions are welcome. Thanks again to TTigerz and Lexvan for writing their stories, and for their permission.**_

_**Please review! I love to hear what readers think!  
><strong>_


	2. Chapter 2

**So**_** here's chapter 2. A large part of this chapter was actually written by Lexvan, and that part is appropriately noted. This chapter also contains a lot of references to TTigerz's Hay Lin Mafia series, and to Lexvan's story "Warriors Unite", but hopefully most readers are already familiar with those stories. So on with the next chapter!**_

It had been three days since they had arrived back on Earth, and Irma and Cornelia were on edge. Will had at least been right about one thing: it would get worse before it would get better. In the infinite city, they only had nightmares. But now that they were back on Earth, they could hardly turn a corner without seeing something that triggered a flashback. It also didn't help that they were on their way to the Silver Dragon, to fulfill their duty to watch over Hay Lin.

Another memory came to mind as they turned the corner to face the distinctive façade of the Chinese Restaurant. Cornelia saw her outstretched hand holding a gun, pointed at Will's head.

_"You see? I've got more control over them then you ever had."_

_*Will didn't need to control us. She had our loyalty and our trust!* _Cornelia thought, with a frustrated look on her face. Speaking of which, they would both admit that they were doing this out of loyalty to Will rather than any desire to help Hay Lin. Her behavior at the trial, even after the revelations about her grandmother, had buried any sympathy she might have gained, at least for now. But they trusted Will, and would treat their task like the final command from their leader. They stood outside the front door for a few minutes, looking inside, then looked back to each other.

"Okay." Said Irma, taking a deep breath. "We can do this. Right?"

"Yeah." Cornelia replied. "We just walk in, order something, check up on Hay Lin, and walk out."

"Simple." Irma tried to reassure herself and her friend. They both looked at the door.

"Uh…you can go first." Cornelia said.

"Okay…" Irma answered, hesitantly opening the door and walking in. Cornelia followed close behind.

They were greeted by Alchemy. Hugging both of them, she whispered "Hey, how's it been for you two?"

"Could be better…" Irma answered.

"And how's _she _been?" Cornelia asked.

"Well, she hasn't said much since she got back…" She answered hesitantly. "Orube brought her in a few hours ago to make sure she got settled. She's on her first shift right now. I'll bring her out when you're ready."

They sat at the corner booth where the five of them used to sit. It was private enough, separate from most of the restaurant, that's why it made such a good place for them to talk about their missions. And Yan Lin would always be able to help them, or so they thought at the time. The memories of all the advice and information she gave them, and how helpful it all was, sent chills down their spines. The two girls were already tense when they arrived, and the memories of Yan Lin definitely did not help them to relax. "Okay, she can't hurt us anymore…" Irma said as they tried to mentally prepare themselves.

"Right." Cornelia answered. They both wondered what this would be like. The last time they saw her was in battle. She couldn't use any of her powers now, so why were they so scared? They didn't need to wait long to find out. A minute later, the kitchen door opened and they saw Hay Lin walking out.

Her dark battledress and elaborate hair were gone, now replaced with a sweater, jeans, and two long pigtails, and an apron. She avoided eye contact as she walked towards the booth.

They lightly gasped as they saw her, and almost shrunk as she approached them. "Hey, Hay Hey…" Irma said, trying to greet her.

"What do _you _want?" Was all Hay Lin asked, her voice full of resentment towards her former friends…her former slaves.

"Uh…I think I'll have the chicken soup…" Cornelia said unsure.

"Yeah…make that two chicken soups." Irma added, the tension in her voice was obvious.

"Right. Two. Chicken. Soups." She repeated, roughly scribbling the order down.

"So, how's...things?" Irma tried to ask, but Hay Lin had immediately turned around and walked away after taking their order, with a light grunt.

Irma and Cornelia both let out a deep breath. "Well, that wasn't so bad." Irma spoke up. What they didn't see was the smile creeping across Hay Lin's face while her back was turned. She didn't need telepathy to sense fear. She was very good at sensing that all on her own. It made her feel good…powerful. She was going to have fun today after all.

A few minutes later, Hay Lin walked back out with two hot bowls of chicken soup. She put on a hurt-looking face for her watchers. She could see how they immediately tensed up as soon as they saw her. She put the bowls down in front of each. They looked nervous and suspicious. "Don't worry, I didn't spit in them." They didn't say anything about that, but looked a bit less nervous. Hay Lin then sat down at one end of the table, making them nervous again. She kept her hurt looking face and said "Guys…" she took a deep breath "…I really miss the old days…" she said in a sad voice, one they hadn't heard in years.

They gasped. She couldn't possibly change so quickly, could she? "Huh?" Irma asked as her jaw dropped, both staring wide-eyed in confusion.

Hay Lin saw they hadn't picked up their spoons yet, and her voice turned cold again. "You may eat."

They both snapped out of their bewilderment and remembered their soup. They started eating, when suddenly Cornelia remembered the way she said that. "Wait…" She said with the spoon in her hand.

Hay Lin started laughing softly. It wasn't her laugh from the "old days." At least not the old days they were thinking of. It was that annoying, chilling laugh. "You were sooo obedient…I'm glad you haven't lost that…" she said, continuing her laugh with an evil smile.

They gasped again and dropped their spoons. Irma started to give Hay Lin the Lair Glare "Alright, knock it off!"

"Knock what off?" She asked snickering. "I just thought you wanted to reminisce about the old times. Really, we were awesome as a team. Nothing could stop us, and we got rid of anyone and everyone that got in our way. I really couldn't have built my empire without you two. So why'd you have to ruin it all?"

"Shut. Up." Cornelia said gritting her teeth, not moving her jaw.

"What's the matter, Corny? You miss the good old days too much?" Then she started speaking in her 'cute' voice. "Or did your precious Angelo vanish again?"

"STOP IT!" She yelled, standing up.

"Oh you should have seen the look on his face when I shot him…" she said nonchalantly. "…actually…it was the same face Courtney made when you stabbed her through the heart! Great job on that, by the way, quick and ruthless!"

Cornelia covered her face. Irma got up and yelled "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You should ask yourself that, old friend. After all, what kind of friend betrays her best friend twice?" She asked as she moved closer, putting her hand in front of Irma's face. Irma flinched and pulled back at the sight of her hand. Hay Lin paused, smiling again. "Oh, you remember this?" she asked as she wiggled her fingers. Then she forcefully pushed her right index finger into Irma's forehead.

Irma's eyes went wide and she screamed so loud that everyone in the restaurant stopped and looked at the commotion. Cornelia reached across the table and pushed Hay Lin out of the way. "Get off of her!" As soon as Hay Lin was out of the way Irma stopped screaming and looked around, seeing everyone looking at them. Then she quickly grabbed her coat and ran out. Cornelia was right behind her. Hay Lin just laughed at their humiliation, until Martin ended her shift early.

They didn't stop when they got out the front door. They ran until they were around the corner and the Silver Dragon was out of sight. Then they caught their breath and held each other, both crying. "She can't hurt us anymore!" Cornelia sobbed. "She can't make us hurt anyone else."

Watching through a viewing pool in Kandrakar was Will, looking with concern and some sadness. She knew this task would be difficult for them, but also knew they could do it. "Stay strong, my friends."

…..

That night, Irma decided she was ready to try the hypnosis. She and Andrew had managed to convince Edeline to join Ehren for a sleepover at the Hale's apartment. Actually, she didn't need that much convincing. But Irma made sure that Edeline understood what was going on, because she didn't want anyone in this new family to start keeping secrets. They waved her off as Lilian picked her up. "Okay, bye Andrew, er, Dad…" she said.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Eddie." He answered.

"Now remember, don't annoy Lilian…too much…" Irma cracked.

"I won't…Mom…" Edeline replied as she got into the car.

"That's always gonna feel weird." Irma said. But now they had plenty of privacy. Anna had already gone to sleep, still tired from the battle. Tom was at City Hall for a police review. And Chris was out. They went into Irma's room, where she sat in a comfortable chair, and Andrew sat on the bed facing her. They moved the chair close to the bed, close enough for them to kiss.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Irma sighed. "Yeah, sometimes I feel like she's still in my head." She paused. "I'd rather have you in my head…"

Andrew held her hands. "Alright…now I haven't done this before. So just take a deep breath and relax…" Irma leaned back in her chair, loosening her shoulders. "Now I think you just watch my eyes…" Irma did, simple enough, and why wouldn't she want to look into his eyes anyway? Then he concentrated, and his eyes flashed.

Irma felt the effects instantly. It felt like falling, falling into a pool of warm water. It was like all of her tension had been released at once. Every muscle in her body completely relaxed. All the stress, the worrying, the internal arguments seemed to stop and go away. She wasn't thinking, wasn't trying to think. Her mind was completely open and receptive, only thinking about what was right in front of her – that beautiful face, the face of the man she loved.

Andrew wasn't sure what to do next. Irma's eyes had changed, her irises had shrunk to pinpricks as her eyes glazed over. It was a familiar look that he didn't like, to say the least. The rest of her face, however, showed deep, blissful relaxation. She seemed to be looking at him, but also right through him at the same time. "Can you hear me, Irma?"

Her face didn't change, but she let out a peaceful sigh "Yes…"

He didn't really understand how this worked, so he said the first thing that came to mind. "I love you, Irma."

Now those words had an effect on her. Irma found that in this state, Andrew's voice was just as strong and compelling as Hay Lin's was when she was enthralled. Except that this wasn't a cold, heartless command to be obeyed. These were the words she could never hear too many times, and now they felt more true than ever. She seemed to melt, her head tilting as she slumped, but still looking at him. Then words that she once had to force out now flowed freely without any thought: "I love you Andrew…I love you…ssso much…"

Andrew brushed her hair to the side, and took her hand. "That's right, and everything's gonna be okay…our best years have just begun…" His words swirled through her mind like the only truth in existence, finding their way into every nook and cranny. It felt like the first gentle cool rain at the end of a dry season. He could see that Irma was enjoying this, so he decided to bring up some fun, happy memories. "Remember the time we ran into each other on Halloween, you know, way before you told me about the whole Guardian thing?"

Irma's face reddened at the memory. How embarrassed she was to see him, and how he looked at her in her 'costume.' "Well shiver me timbers…" she answered with a big smile.

Andrew smiled at that. "And do you remember your 18th birthday?"

She giggled. "Not much…after Corny gave me a big bottle of something fruity…"

"I carried you to your bed that night. Your dad was so pissed." He said, laughing at the memory. "Now…do you remember the day I asked you to marry me?"

Her face lit up. She now had the same expression Andrew remembered so well. "Yes! Yes yes yesyesyes!" Then she actually got up from the chair and kissed him. Irma was reliving these memories in her mind, and Andrew was more than happy to return the kiss. After that, he got her settled back in the chair, feeling no need to bring up what happened a week later…

He gently stroked her cheek as she leaned back in her chair, peacefully slumping. He thought about all the good times they had together, before the war, and then in the rebellion after she came back. "Our best days are ahead of us, Irma. You, me, and now Edeline…our best years have just begun…"

Irma stared blissfully into Andrew's eyes as he told her those words, going deep into her mind. After a few seconds, she peacefully repeated "…just…begun…"

"That's right…now close those eyes, and let me tell you about Erutan…"

The evening was wonderful, the night was even better. Andrew made sure that Irma dreamed about floating down a wide jungle river on Erutan, on the back of a giant turtle, with him by her side.

**_A/N: This part was written by Lexvan_**

"Why can't I stay and watch?", Ehren questioned as she put her jacket on.

"Because this is the first time we're doing this.", Angelo said to his adoptive daughter. "And she wants as much privacy as she can get. Plus, we don't know what's going to happen when we do this. Which is why, you'll be spending the night with Lillian. Just like Edeline is."

"Really?", Ehren questioned.

"Yep.", Cornelia said waiting at the door. "Irma and Andrew are going to be doing this too."

"And like you, Irma wants her privacy.", Ehren figured.

"Yeah.", Cornelia said softly. "Don't take it the wrong way, Ehren. It's just that this is new for me and I don't know what's going to happen."

"I guess that makes sense.", Ehren said. "I mean if it was me, I don't know what I'd do."

"Thanks.", Cornelia said as they shared a hug.

Suddenly, a car horn was heard. Angelo looked out of the window to see that it was Lillian's car.

"Lilian's here.", Angelo said as he walked up to Ehren and handed her her backpack that had the things she needed for her sleep over. "Have fun and behave."

"Don't you trust me?", Ehren questioned while giving Angelo an innocent look.

"Oh, I trust you.", Angelo said. "I trust you to do what you do best.", he said with a smirk. "Get in trouble."

"Oh, father! That hurts! That truly hurts!", Ehren said pretending her feelings were hurt.

"Riiiiiiight.", Angelo said before giving he a hug and kissing her on the forehead. "Now get going."

"See yall later!", Ehren said as she hugged Cornelia who returned the hug and kissed her on the forehead as well.

"See ya.", Cornelia said as Ehren ran towards Lillian's car and saw that Edeline was already in there.

Lillian, Edeline, Ehren waved to Cornelia and Angelo as Lillian drove off. Angelo and Cornelia waved back watching the car drive off. Once the car was out of sight, they closed and locked the front door and headed to their bedroom. They then changed into their sleeping clothes which was a silk, thin strap night gown for Cornelia and a pair of blue sleeping pants for Angelo.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?", Angelo asked as they sat on the bed in the lotus position facing each other.

"I think I need to do this now before I drive myself crazy.", Cornelia said.

"Was it that bad of a visit to the Silver Dragon?", Angelo asked.

"You have no idea.", Cornelia said with a tiring sigh.

"Well, let's see what we can do.", Angelo said. "Now from what Cassidy told me, this hypnosis stuff works a little like the thing she could do when she was the Water Guardian. Which means that I need to make eye contact with you and go from there."

"Let's do it.", Cornelia said as they looked into each others' eyes.

"Here goes nothing.", Angelo said as he began to focus on the hypnosis power Will gave him.

As Cornelia looked into his eyes, she began to smile a little being glad that it was Angelo who was doing this for her. If it was one of her other friends, her would be okay with it, but having it being Angelo, it felt special. But as those thoughts were running through her mind, she saw a flash in Angelo's eyes. Once that happened she felt the effects of the hypnosis kick in instantly. She suddenly felt like she laying in a field of flowers with a warm Summer breeze gently hitting her face putting her at ease. She felt all of the tension she had being released. Every muscle in her body was relaxed a bit. All of her stress, her worrying, not to mention the internal arguments she had within herself seemed to stop and go away. At that moment, her mind was completely open. All she was thinking about was what was right in front of her. And what was in front of her was the man she loved with all of her heart.

At first Angelo didn't know what to do as he looked at Cornelia. Her eyes had a familiar look that he didn't like one bit. Cornelia looked like she was enthralled, and that scared him! But as he got a better look at her, Angelo saw that Cornelia was in a sort of deep, blissful relaxed state. Seeing this put Angelo at ease, but part of him wanted to make sure that the woman he loved was okay.

"Are you okay, Cornelia?", he asked hoping she was alright.

"Yes.", she answered in a peaceful tone.

Angelo breathed a sigh of relief glad that things were going good so far.

"Okay.", Angelo said ready to get started with helping Cornelia. "We're going to start with something small. But if you want to stop at anytime, we will. I love you too much to hurt you in any way."

Hearing those words had an effect on her. Angelo's voice was just as strong and compelling as Hay Lin's was when she was enthralled by her, only Angelo's voice wasn't the cold and heartless demanding voice her once good friend used when she wanted to be obeyed. These were the words she could never hear too many times, and now she felt that they were more true than ever. Hearing Angelo say he loved her made her heart melt as her head tilted a bit to the side as well as slump a little while still looking at him.

"I love you too, Angelo.", she said with a kind smile.

With a smile of his own, Angelo reached out and held Cornelia's hands making her feel safe, for he somehow knew that she was going to need it.

"Remember, Baby.", Angelo said in a calm and soothing voice. "I'm right here with you. In all of this."

"Okay.", she replied with a smile.

"Now, let's start with something small.", Angelo said. "Let's go to the first time you saw me, after you were enthralled."

At first, Cornelia said nothing as she was going through the memories she could remember during her enthrallment. Then after a few seconds the memory came to her.

"I remember Irma and I being alongside Hay Lin as she was talking with someone, who had their own bodyguards, at the Heatherfield Park.", Cornelia began to explain. "As Hay Lin was talking to this person, I was looking around the area for any signs of rebels or assassins. It was then I saw you and Caleb hiding behind a car."

"I remember that day.", Angelo said. "Go on."

"There was a part of me that was glad to see you.", Cornelia said. "But there was another part of me that was afraid that Hay Lin would have spotted you and send me and Irma after you and Caleb."

"Thankfully she didn't spot me.", Angelo said. "Cause that was the day that I discovered you and Irma were enthralled by Hay Lin. I remember you looking at me mouthing the words "Help me." hoping Hay Lin did see you do it. Me and Caleb were about to plant a tracer on the car of the guy Hay Lin was talking to when we heard some of his other bodyguards coming. We had to leave before we got caught."

"I remember you leaving.", Cornelia said. "I wanted to call out to you, but couldn't due to the enthrallment. Part of me felt what little hope I had left fade."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you then.", Angelo said as he kept holding her hands. "But once I found a way to break the enthrallment you and Irma were under, me, Andrew, Joel, Cassidy, and Mandy mounted a rescue attempt. Too bad it failed."

Suddenly, Angelo saw that Cornelia was crying. Tears were beginning to run down her face as she too began to remember that night.

"Cornelia?", Angelo questioned wondering what was wrong with her.

"I'm sorry.", Cornelia cried. "I'm so sorry, Angelo. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you?", Angelo questioned. "For what?"

"For throwing you through the fold.", Cornelia said as the tears were still flowing. "I didn't want to but the enthrallment was so strong."

"I'm not mad at you, Cornelia.", Angelo said as he still held her hands gently. "For it wasn't your fault. Heck. It wasn't Hay Lin's fault either. The blame lies with Yan Lin. She's the true cause of all the pain and suffering we've all been through. What happened has happened. The best we can do is move on."

"You forgive me?", Cornelia questioned as the tears stopped flowing.

"There's nothing to forgive.", Angelo said making Cornelia smile. "Besides. If that didn't happen, then me and the others wouldn't have became the Warriors. So, maybe it was meant to happen. Either way, we're together now. And I couldn't be more happy."

Cornelia let out a happy sigh as she smiled at Angelo.

"I love you, Cornelia Hale.", Angelo said with a smile.

"I love you, Angelo Vanders.", Cornelia said with a smile.

"Now, I'm going to release you from the hypnosis.", Angelo said. "When I do, you will go to sleep thinking of the great times we had back when we were younger. Like when Irma and Cassidy tried to eat those super hot wings and ended up drinking down a lot of water.", he said putting a smile on Cornelia's face. "Okay, Cornelia. Sleep.", he said as he gently touched Cornelia's face with his right hand and closed her eyes.

Once he did that, Cornelia was out of the hypnosis and was fast asleep. Angelo then placed her in the bed and laid down next to her and pulled the covers over them. Once she felt Angelo laying next to her, Cornelia turned and wrapped her arms around Angelo while resting her head on his chest. Angelo looked down at Cornelia and saw a smile on her face. Angelo wrapped his arms around the woman he loved and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you Cornelia Hale.", he said as they both laid in their bed. "And I pray to the Lord that you and Irma will be able to get through this."

He then drifted off to sleep hoping and praying that Cornelia and Irma would be okay in the end after all was said and done. The next morning, around four in the morning, Cornelia woke up to see that she was in bed with Angelo who had his left arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close but in a comfortable way. A smile grew on her face as she was enjoying the feeling.

'Whatever he did worked.', she thought to herself. 'Last night was the best sleep I had in a long time.'

She remembered everything from last night, especially what a wonderful dream she had. And all the loving things Angelo said to her ran through her head as she smiled. At that moment, Cornelia knew that no matter how things got during her recovery, she'd have Angelo there to help her get through it.

"I love you, Angelo.", Cornelia said softly before kissing him on his cheek.

She then wrapped her arms around Angelo and laid with him as he had his left arm around her. She then laid her head back on his chest enjoying the comfort he was giving her even in his sleep.

'Dear Lord. Please help me and Irma get through all of this.', Cornelia prayed before letting sleep come over her again.

**_A/N: End Lexvan's portion_**

The next morning, Irma slowly opened her eyes after what felt like the best night's sleep in years. The spell had worn off, but everything he told her remained deep in her mind. She remembered everything from last night, especially what a wonderful dream she had. She felt Andrew's chest against her back, and his arm draped over her. Then she saw the ring around her finger, and more importantly the bracelet around her wrist, and knew today would be a good day.

**_I want to thank Lexvan for writing his portion of this chapter, with his OC and Cornelia. I wanted to show an intimate moment after a very lousy day, and there is no more intimate part of a human being than the mind._**

**_Also, while Hay Lin technically belongs to Disney, I have to say Evil Hay Lin belongs to TTigerz. She's such a good villain, and so deliciously evil, and that makes her so much fun to write about._**

**_And don't forget to review!  
><em>**


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as they arrived back on Earth, Mandy checked Matt into a rehab center in Fadden Hills. For the first week, no contact was allowed between Matt and anyone outside the center. But Mandy made sure to be there for the first permitted visitation. They ate in the cafeteria, joking about how the food wasn't much better than either Sheffield or East Heatherfield. "I'll make sure to bring something from the sandwich chop downtown tomorrow." She said as they walked out.

They held hands as they walked through the courtyard. Mandy tried to keep the conversation light, and focus on better times. As they sat down on the bench, she brought up something from their childhood. "Remember when we were little, and I'd go to your house whenever there was a thunderstorm?"

"Yeah…" a weak smile came to his face. "…you were scared of a lot of things…"

"And I know that you're scared now. You're afraid that you won't be able to get through this."

"So you're reading my mind, aren't you?" He asked, a bit depressed.

"Nope." She answered smiling. "I just know you." She kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. "And I know you will get through this. You just have to commit yourself, and know that I'm with you." They shared a hug, and it was almost time for another class for Matt. "I'll be back tomorrow."

…...

The next day, Mandy was back at the same time. Only this time, she brought a Reuben from the local deli shop for Matt. "How'd you know?" He asked.

"Like I said, no one knows you like I do."

These visits continued. They would be short, friendly, with Mandy trying to get closer to Matt, trying to get him to open up more. They were like this until a week later, when they were in his bedroom. Mandy saw that the bags under his eyes had all but disappeared, and he looked more and more like his old self, but his addictions were far, far from over. She then revealed the present she had brought for him from Heatherfield: his old acoustic guitar. Matt's face lit up when he saw it and kissed her. "Thank you!"

"Well, don't just stare at it, play something for me!" She playfully demanded.

"I don't think I've played in years…except sometimes for Hay Lin."

"Don't think about that." She said as she reached for his shoulder. "You're here to get better."

"I think I know the song that's been on my mind…" with that he started moving his fingers over the strings. It took a few minutes for him to get the hang of it, but once he got the right tune, he started to sing…

_Didn't know why I couldn't fly  
>Didn't want to be stuck on the ground<br>I wanted to soar across the sky  
>But something was holding me down<em>

What had me cower in fear?  
>What was it I couldn't see?<br>The answer near, but so unclear  
>I was fighting the demon in me…<p>

Mandy had never heard the song before, but knew it fit his current situation very well. She sat back while he continued to play this song about an internal struggle, a struggle she was determined to help him win. When he finished playing, she sat on his bed next to him. "That was amazing!"

"Wow…I didn't know I still had it in me…"

"You've got a lot in you." She said, blushing.

"I still can't believe what happened…" He said sounding depressed.

Mandy rubbed his back. "Hey…don't blame yourself. Once I found out what happened to you, I knew my mission was to rescue you."

Matt looked over at her, feeling like he didn't deserve that.

She continued. "It actually made me hate Hay Lin even more. Will demonstrated that one night when she glamoured herself as her."

"What? Why would she do that?"

"To show us that we were letting our emotions get the best of us, and she was right. But whether my emotions were running away with me or not, the fact is, the whole time you were with Hay Lin, there was someone on the other side fighting for you…"

He sighed at that, leaning his head against her.

"…and that same someone is rooting for you now."

"Thanks…" he answered softly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Mandy blushed, then remembered something. "You know, when Will was disguised as Hay Lin…she said you were a good kisser, when your mouth didn't smell like weed."

"Most of it's a blur…" he said. "…being enthralled and high most of the time won't leave clear memories…" He forced out a chuckle.

"Well, you definitely don't smell like weed now…" She said, with a curious look in her eye.

Matt turned to look at her, like a shy teenager. Mandy looked back with an innocent but excited smile. They stared at each other for what seemed like an hour, each hoping the other would make the first move. Then Matt couldn't take it anymore, and gently graced Mandy's lips with his own. Mandy felt a rush inside her and gratefully returned the kiss, putting in all the passion she had built up over all those months. They wrapped their arms around each other, and when they finally came up for air, she wanted to tell him he was a good kisser, but other words came out instead, almost on their own. "I love you." She gasped and covered her mouth.

Matt also gasped when he heard it. But it wasn't because he didn't love her as well, it was because he didn't feel like he deserved her love. "I…I think I love you too…" he said unsure, but he wanted it to be true. Mandy held him again, and he put his arms around her.

"Promise me you'll get better."

Matt didn't have the confidence to make that promise, but now he had a surefire reason to get better. "I promise I'll try."

Mandy kissed him again, and they held each other for a big longer before it was time for her to leave.

After she left, Matt started to shake. His urges were returning. Whenever Mandy was around, he would try to hide his struggle, but it was extremely hard. As he got ready for bed, still shaking, he went into the bathroom, looking into the mirror over the sink as he tried to hold himself up. As he looked in the mirror, he forced out some words that he had been taught on the first day he arrived:

"Lord, grant me the serenity,

To accept the things I cannot change,

And the courage to change those which I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference…"

The next morning, Matt woke up after dreaming about the kiss he shared with Mandy. He felt more stable in the morning, and his urges were strongest at night. As he got ready for breakfast, he looked in the mirror again. He looked better now, his face no longer had the fragile appearance that it had in Kandrakar. As he looked in the mirror, he said something else, determined to get better, if not for himself, then for those who were important to him.

"I'm going to take care of you today.

I'm going to protect you today.

I love you today,

And I'm going to love you tomorrow."

Days passed for Matt, some slowly and some quickly. The high point of each day would be when Mandy would come to visit him, and it would be like a date. One day, however, Mandy decided to bring a guest with her. His eyes went wide as he saw her blonde hair. "Lilian!"

She ran toward him and they hugged tightly. "Matt…I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

The three of them walked through the courtyard, getting Lilian up to speed about what's been going on with him at rehab. Lilian was very glad to hear about the progress he had been making.

"So do you think you're getting better?" She asked.

"I hope I am." Matt answered, trying to smile.

"Well remember, Sir Matthew…" she started. "…as Heart of Earth, I hereby order you to get better." She finished with a big smile and a hug.

"I'll do my best."

_**So this chapter focused on Matt and Mandy. And Lilian's not being bossy, that's just her way of encouraging Matt. And don't forget to review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N This chapter was written by Lexvan, with some edits by me.**_

A month had passed for Matt, in Rehab, and he was doing pretty good. Seeing Mandy was the high point of his day. And whenever she could, Lillian would come and visit, much to Chris' disapproval. The others have been visiting Matt as well. Seeing his friends has been giving Matt the strength he needs to keep moving on with his rehab. Which brings us to now when Matt is getting a visit from some other friends. Matt, of course, is in his room playing his guitar to pass the time when a knock comes at his door.

"Who is it?", Matt asked as he walked up to the door.

"Your favorite high school DJ!", a familiar female voice said.

"I know that voice anywhere.", Matt said with a grin as he opened the door to see Irma standing there with a smile on her face.

"What's up, Regent-Boy?", Irma asked before hugging Matt who returned the hug.

"How's it going, Irma?", Matt asked as they pulled away from each other.

"Pretty good.", Irma said.

"Says you!", another familiar voice said. "All you and Cornelia did the whole ride here was sing VMJ songs that were playing on the radio. Today just had to be the man's birthday."

Matt looked past Irma to see Angelo and Cornelia standing in the hallway.

"Oh! So, you don't like my singing!", Cornelia said as she turned away from Angelo.

"I didn't say that.", Angelo said. "I like it when you sing. As long as it's a song that compliments your voice."

"It's nice to see that you two love each other so much.", Matt said with a grin getting their attention.

"Don't you start.", Cornelia said. "We drove a long way to see you. So, be happy."

"You never change, Corny.", Matt said before they hugged.

"It's nice to see you too, Matt.", Cornelia said as they pulled away from each other.

"What a second!", Matt said. "I just called you Corny and you're not telling me not to call you that. What gives?"

"After a while, you just get use to it.", Cornelia said.

"Plus, when I call her Corny, it's a whole different story.", Angelo said as he walked into Matt's room. "Good to see you, man."

"Same here.", Matt said as they shook hands. "So, what brings you all here?"

"Can't we visit an old friend without wanting something?", Irma questioned pretending to have her feelings hurt.

"Yeah, but from what Taranee told me, when she and Nigel visited me on Friday with Andrew, you were trying to get a job at the Heatherfield Aquarium.", Matt explained. "And you two were still getting your place in order.", he said to Angelo and Cornelia.

"True.", Cornelia said. "But we decided to take a break from all of that and pay you a visit."

"As for me, I felt kind of bad for not visiting you with Andrew.", Irma said.

"Don't sweat it, guys.", Matt said as he sat on his bed. "You guys are trying to start over. Believe me when I say I know how it feels."

"Girls?", Angelo said getting Cornelia and Irma's attention. "Tell him. He's not going to get mad."

Matt looked from Angelo to Cornelia and Irma who had a look that said they were hiding something.

"Tell me what?", Matt asked.

Angelo looked at the girls and saw that they didn't want to tell Matt what they were hiding. So, he decided that he'd tell him for them.

"You don't want to tell him, fine.", Angelo said. "I'll tell him for you."

"Don't.", Matt said. "I want them to tell me."

Cornelia and Irma looked at each other and then at Matt.

"The reason why we waited so long to visit you was because...", Irma began to say.

"Because we were afraid that if we saw you again, we'd get more flashbacks from when we were enthralled.", Cornelia finished explaining. "We're sorry, Matt."

"Don't be.", Matt said with a smile. "Part of me felt the same way about seeing you two again.", he said with a small laugh.

A few seconds past before the four of them burst out laughing. It was a pretty tense feeling for them. After a few minutes of laughing, they calmed down and decided to take a walk outside.

"Man! Am I glad to of gotten that out in the open.", Irma said as they walked around the grounds of the rehab center.

"Same here.", Matt said. "So, how is your home coming along?", he asked Angelo and Cornelia.

"Funny thing about that.", Angelo said. "Turns out that after the apartment building was destroyed in the explosion, I of course had to heal up first. But after that, I went to one of the best construction companies and paid them to rebuild the apartment building that way Uncle John had it remodeled."

"And they did it?", Matt questioned.

"I was just as surprised when they said yes.", Angelo said. "Turns out that they, like the other construction companies, weren't being bothered by Hay Lin."

"That's because she needed those companies to bulid any houses she wanted built.", Irma said. "I may have been enthralled but there are a few things that come to mind every now and then. Same for you?"

"Let's not sugar coat it, Irma." Cornelia interjected. "We've actually been getting a lot of memories."

"Okay, yeah, by 'every now and then' I meant 'all the time.'" She said. "That's why we were afraid to come and see you."

"Wow. At least I've got one blessing.", Matt said.

"But nothing's popped into my head yet today." Cornelia said. She smiled. "That's probably because you look better than you have in a long time."

"Thanks. For me, the memories come every once in a while. I try to not let them get to me, but there are times that I'm awake at night thinking about them. Then again, most of mine are really hazy. I guess that's a benefit from being drugged up all the time."

"I hear ya there.", Irma said.

"Not that I'm suggesting anything." He quickly added. They all chuckled a bit.

"I remember Will saying that the memories will always be there.", Angelo said. "She also said that the best you can do is keep moving forward and not let them hold you back."

"Sound advice.", Matt said as they all sat on some benches. "So, how's Chris doing?"

"Pretty lie or ugly truth?", Cornelia asked him.

"Give me the ugly.", Matt said with a grin knowing that something was up.

"He's real jealous of you, man.", Angelo said.

"Huh?", Matt questioned. "Why would he be jealous of me?"

"Well, it's how close you and Lillian are that he's jealous of.", Irma replied.

"You're her favorite Regent.", Angelo explained. "Chris found this out during the war. When they joined up with the rebels she had the girls tell her of all the adventures they had together."

"And he thinks that if I do decide to become a Regent again, he'll be pushed aside and lose Lillian.", Matt figured.

"Pretty much.", Irma said. "So, I have to ask. Do you intend accepting Lillian's offer to become her Regent again?"

"To be honest, I have no Idea.", Matt said. "I mean, I do miss it. But, I still don't think I'm worthy of it, after all that's happened."

"Okay, first of all, what happened to you wasn't all your fault.", Cornelia said. "Hay Lin got the jump on all of us. It couldn't be helped. So don't beat yourself up."

"Thanks.", Matt said. "Mandy tells me the same thing sometimes."

"Well, she's right.", Irma said. "And we know that the rehab is tough, but know you've got friends that are rooting as well as praying for you, Matt."

"Thanks.", Matt said. "And know that I'm doing the same for you two when it comes to your having to check up on Hay Lin."

"And for that, we thank you.", Cornelia said as she and Irma shivered a little.

"That bad?", Matt asked.

"You have no idea.", Irma said. "It's getting better, mind you."

"That's good to hear.", Matt said. "But to be honest, I still believe that deep down, the old Hay Lin is still in there."

"Now you sound like Angelo.", Cornelia said.

"Well... I think that our Hay Lin is still there.", Angelo said. "She just needs time to be herself again."

"Couldn't agree more.", Matt said. "So, any interesting stories you guys have?"

"I got one.", Angelo said. "It actually involves Chris."

"Do tell.", Matt said.

"Well, it was about five days ago.", Angelo began to explain. "Me and Caleb were still setting up the martial arts school, we're opening, while Cornelia was out with her mom and Lillian shopping for some stuff for our place, when...

_Flashback, five days ago..._

"So, you still going to call this place the Golden Dragon Dojo?", Caleb asked as they were hanging the banner to the place on the wall.

"Yeah.", Angelo said when they were done. "Uncle John called it that, so it's going to stay that."

"You know, when the war ended, I never thought that I'd still be teaching people how to fight.", Caleb said. "I figured that I'd be living a simple life with Natasha and..."

"Will?", Angelo questioned knowing that his friend was still getting over the fact that Will was in Kandrakar.

"Yeah.", Caleb said while looking up at the sky, through the windows of the martial arts school. "I miss her, Angelo."

"And she misses you.", Angelo said as he placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder. "Even if she can see you and Natasha through her Viewing Pool, she still missed you both."

"I just wish that there was a way for her to be able to come to Earth.", Caleb said. "Or any place we can be together."

"Well, it's not like you can't go see her.", Angelo said. "You got Natasha and Blunk who can open folds to Kandrakar. Heck,iIf you want, I can give you one of the Fold Crystals, that I found a year ago, in the rubble of the old apartment building."

"Thanks.", Caleb said. "But for now, I think its best that I get used to us not being together before I even think of paying her a visit."

"Do you really think you can do that?", Angelo asked.

Caleb then looked at Angelo with a grin that he returned. Watching them from her Viewing Pool was the Oracle, known as one Will Vandom. A sad smile was on her face as she used her index finger to trace over the image of Caleb's face.

"I miss you too, Caleb.", she said as a lone tear ran down her face. "More than you'll ever know."

Back on Earth, Angelo and Caleb had just finished setting up a punching bag and were taking a break.

"So, let me ask you something.", Caleb said as they were drinking some water. "If Will had asked you to stay up there and become part of her personal council like Tibor, Alfor, Luba, and Halinor were for the last Oracle, would you do it?"

"If I wasn't with Cornelia and if Ehren didn't pick me to as her parent, maybe.", Angelo said.

"Maybe?", Caleb questioned.

"Yes. Maybe.", Angelo replied. "That's a huge choice to make. I'd be giving up a lot."

"True.", Caleb said. "But what about when you get older?"

"When I reach my sixties, then I'll probably do it.", Angelo said. "Cause by then, I'd of lived a good life and be good to go. As long as Cornelia came with me."

"What if Will were to offer it to you sometime in the near future?", Caleb asked. "Think Cornelia would let you do it?"

"Heck no!"

Angelo and Caleb both jumped and turned around to see Cornelia along with her mother, Elizabeth and her sister, Lillian.

"Jeez, Cornelia!", Caleb said. "Don't do that!"

"Seriously!", Angelo said. "If I were an old man, I'd probably be on the floor right now having a heart attack!"

Watching from her Viewing Pool, was Will who had a grin on her face.

"Some things never change.", she said to herself before she made the image vanish.

She then left to take care or her duties as Oracle. Back on Earth...

"So, I take it that you're done with your shopping.", Angelo said checking his watch. "And it's only 1:44 P.M.! Wow! I figured that you'd still be shopping."

"Actually, we just came from Lunch.", Cornelia said as she walked up to Angelo. "I just wanted to come by and see you."

"Really now?", Angelo questioned as he wrapped his arms around Cornelia's waist .

"Yeah.", Cornelia said with a smile before they kissed.

"Not to interrupt but I have a favor to ask of you, Angelo.", Lillian said getting their attention. "Remember, Sis?"

"Oh yeah!", Cornelia said as she and Angelo pulled away from each other. "Go ahead, Lillian. I'll be right back."

"Where you going?", Angelo asked as Cornelia and her mother headed out of the dojo.

"There's something I have to with mom.", Cornelia said as they stood at the entrance to the dojo. "Besides. I think Lillian wants to talk to you and Caleb alone.", she said before she and Elizabeth left for the second floor of the apartment building.

"Okay.", Angelo said before turning to Lillian. "What's up, Lillian?"

"It's Chris.", Lillian said with a pout. "We kind of had an argument about Matt being a Regent again. Well, if he decides to become one again."

"I went to see Matt the other day with Martin and Alchemy.", Caleb said. "He's doing pretty good. But it's going to be a while before he's able to leave the center."

"I know.", Lillian said as she sat in a chair that was against the wall. "But when I talked to Chris and Napoleon about Matt being one of my Regents again, if he decided to, Napoleon was okay with it. But..."

"Chris wasn't.", Angelo said as he sat next to her.

Lillian only nodded her head as he eyes began to water. Seeing this, Angelo wrapped an arm around her in comfort knowing she needed it.

"I didn't mean to make him mad.", Lillian said as the tears began to flow. "It's just that, I'm still used to Matt being one of my Regents. Even when he was enthralled, I knew that the real him was fighting to break free.", she said as she wiped her tears away.

"We understand, Lillian.", Caleb said. "You have a close bond with Matt that Chris doesn't understand yet. It's not romantic or anything. But it's still a close bond. Like a brother-sister bond."

"But if you want, I can talk to him for you.", Angelo said.

"Will you do that for me?", Lillain asked as she looked at Angelo with pleading eyes.

"Sure.", Angelo said with a smile which put a smile on Lillian's face as she hugged Angelo.

"Thank you.", Lillian said as Angelo returned the hug.

"No problem, Lillian.", Angelo said as Cornelia and Elizabeth came back into the dojo.

"Is everything okay?", Elizabeth asked as Lillian and Angelo pulled away from each other.

"Yeah, Mom.", Lillain said as she stood up smiling. "I just had to get some things off my chest."

"Okay.", Elizabeth said.

"You know. Seeing all three of you here is like looking into the past, present, and future.", Angelo said to the three Hale's.

"It does, doesn't it?", Caleb questioned.

"How so?", Elizabeth asked.

"Well, first you have Lillian, who looks like Cornelia did when she was sixteen.", Angelo explained. "She represents the past."

"While Cornelia, who probably looks like you did when you were in your twenties, Mrs. Hale.", Caleb said. "So, she represents the present."

"You do look a little like I did in my twenties.", Elizabeth said.

"Thank you.", Cornelia said proudly.

"And you, Mrs. Hale, give us a look at to what Cornelia and Lillian will look like in the future.", Angelo said. "And to that, I say that the future looks pretty good."

"You little charmer you.", Elizabeth said with a slight blush at the compliment.

"Well, I intend to have inner beauty as well as outer beauty.", Lillian said proudly.

"Someone getting full of herself.", Cornelia said with a smirk.

"I learn from the best.", Lillian said with a smirk of her own.

"She's got you there, Cornelia.", Elizabeth said with a grin.

"Mom!", Cornelia whined.

"Well, it's true.", Elizabeth said. "You were a bit full of yourself when you were younger."

"I hate to say it, but she's right.", Caleb said with a grin.

"You don't think I was like that do you?", Cornelia asked Angelo with innocent looking eyes hoping that he'd side with her.

"Well, there was that one time, in tenth grade, when you almost snapped when they accidently sold that dress you had on hold.", Angelo said thinking back to their youth.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be!", Cornelia said as she turned to walk away only for Angelo to grab her hand and pull her back to him while spinning her around so that she was face to face with him.

"I was also going to say that you've come a long way from that.", Angelo said with a smile making Cornelia smile before they shared a quick kiss.

"Hmmmmm.", Cornelia said with a smile. "Good answer.", she said before she left with her mother and Lillian to do some more shopping. "I'll see you later."

"See you later, Baby.", Angelo said as three Hales left.

"For a minute there, I thought you were in trouble.", Caleb said with a grin.

"Hey, I just told the truth.", Angelo said with a grin.

"What about Chris?", Caleb asked. "You know that that's going to be hard to do. Seeing as he can teleport away from you."

"Oh, I have an idea on how to fix that.", Angelo said. "And I know just the place to confront him about all of this."

"I have to see this go down.", Caleb said.

"Faith, Caleb.", Angelo said. "You've got to have faith."

"We'll see.", Caleb said as they went back to setting some things up for the dojo.

The next day, Lillian called Chris and asked him to meet him at the basketball courts, at Heatherfield Park. Taking his sweet time, Chris showed up there within twenty minutes. Once there, he saw that Lillian was there with Angelo and Caleb.

"What's all of this?", Chris questioned. "I thought that you'd be alone."

"Well, I'm not.", Lillian said. "I asked Angelo to talk to you about something. And Caleb is here to help, too."

"And that is?", Chris asked.

"You being jealous of Matt.", Angelo said.

"Oh, I'm so out of here!", Chris said as he began to walk away only for Lillian to teleport in front of him.

"Oh, no you don't!", Lillian said. "You're going to stay and listen!"

"Wanna bet?", Chris said with a smirk as he tried to teleport away but couldn't. "Yeah! What gives?"

"I do!", Lillian said in a stern voice. "I cut off your powers. And I won't turn them back on until you hear what the guys have to say!"

"Fine!", Chris said as he sat down on the bleachers, of the park's basketball courts with Lillian.

"That was easier than I thought.", Caleb said.

"Yeah.", Angelo said. "Let's hope getting through to him will be just as easy.", he said as he and Caleb walked up to the two teens. "Okay, Chris. Here's the thing."

"Let me guess.", Chris said. "You think that I shouldn't be so upset when it comes to Matt.", he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Okay. First off, watch your mouth.", Angelo said. "You're not too old to get your butt busted. Remember that."

Chris turned his head with a huff not caring what Angelo or Caleb had to say.

"Now I know your father raised you better than that.", Caleb said.

"Yeah. So?", Chris said. "I don't need to hear how I should respect Matt just because he was once a Regent. When we joined up with you guys during the war, Lillian kept asking Irma and the girls about Matt and wanted to know about what a great Regent he was."

"Well, from what I heard, he was.", Angelo said.

"Well, if he was so great, then why was it so easy for him to get enthralled and become addicted to drugs?", Chris questioned with a smirk.

**_*SMACK!*_**

Chris rubbed the spot where Lillian smacked him while looking at her in shock. He then saw the look of anger and hurt in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Lillian... I...", Chris began to say as he went to hold her hand only for her to move her hand away from him.

"Save it.", Lillian said as she looked away from Chris. "Just save it."

"You had that coming.", Caleb said getting Chris' attention.

"Heck. I was about to yank you up from where you were sitting.", Angelo said. "You had no right to say what you said."

"Yeah. Well, I'm tired of hearing about how Lillian wants Matt to be one of her Regents again.", Chris replied.

"And what's wrong with that?", Caleb questioned. "He does have the experience. Plus whether he decides to be a Regent again or not, you can learn a thing or two from him."

"I'm strong enough now!", Chris said. "Besides, he's been enthralled for four years! How do we know that he won't revert back and turn on us?"

"Is that what you think?", Caleb asked. "Or is that the jealousy talking?"

"Cause if it's what you think, then I guess that you don't trust me either."

Chris turned to see Irma walking up to the group.

"What are you doing here?", Chris asked surprised to see his sister.

"Angelo called me and asked me to meet him here for something.", Irma explained. "Now I see why he called me. Why are you so jealous of Matt? And don't use that enthrallment crap! Cause if that's what you think, then you must not trust Joel, who's one of the Warriors. Or Corny. Or me."

"I never said that I didn't trust you guys.", Chris said.

"Then cut the crap, little brother.", Irma said. "Lillian loves you, Chris! And as for Matt, he has Mandy."

"Really?", Angelo questioned. "They finally got together?"

"Yep.", Irma said. "Lillian told me about it when she went with Mandy to see Matt a while ago."

"I... I didn't know that.", Chris said while looking down at the ground.

"I would of told you, the other day, but you got mad when I talked to you and Napoleon about Matt being my Regent again.", Lillian said.

"I'm sorry, okay!", Chris said. "It's just that whenever someone mentions Matt, your face lights up and stuff."

"That's because I care about him.", Lillian said. "He's a good friend that took up the duty to be one of my first Regents when he didn't have to. And now, he needs the support of his friends to help him get through something big in his life. And I want to be there to help him. And I'd like for you to be there as well."

"Just give me some time.", Chris said. "Okay?"

"I can wait.", Lillian said as she got up from the bleachers. "But know this. If Matt does take me up on my offer to become my Regent again, he will be your leader. I made that decision based on what I learned about Matt from the others as well as what I've seen him do thanks to Will and the Viewing Pool. You may not like it, but that's my decision. Now I'll leave you to think about that."

Lillian then kissed him on his check. Once she did that, Chris felt his Regent powers kick in again.

"I love you, Christopher Lair.", she whispered in his ear before teleporting away.

"Now that girl can make an exit.", Irma said as she sat next to her brother. "So, you willing to try and get along with Matt? Cause if he says yes to being a Regent again, you'll have no choice."

"I have no idea.", Chris said. "I just need time to think about it."

"Well, don't take too much time.", Caleb said. "Cause if Lillian is anything like her sister, then she's only going to wait for so long."

Seeing the look on Chris's face told Angelo that he needed to know what Matt thought about being a Regent again.

"I'll tell you what, Chris.", Angelo said getting the young Regent's attention. "In a few days, if everything goes as planned, me, Cornelia, and Irma are going to see Matt. While there, we'll find out if he wants to be a Regent again. But until then, try and get use to idea of Matt being a Regent again. Deal?", he questioned.

"Deal.", Chris said as they shook hands.

_End Flashback_

"Well, that was an interesting story.", Matt said.

"Yeah. That brother of mine can be a real pain sometimes.", Irma said.

"Gosh. I wonder where he gets it from?", Cornelia questioned sarcastically with a smirk.

"Very funny.", Irma said in a dull tone. "Who knew that you had a funny side, Corny.", she said with a smirk.

"It's nice to know that some things never change.", Matt said with a smile.

"You hush!", Cornelia and Irma said getting a laugh out of Matt and Angelo.

"You know something? I'm glad you two finally came by to see me.", Matt said getting their attention. "I needed this laugh!", he said laughing.

"You here that, Cornelia? Our bickering cheered him up!", Irma said with a smirk.

"Well, I'm glad our bickering is good for something.", Cornelia said smiling.

"Well, they do say that laughter is the best medicine.", Angelo said. "And by the way Matt's laughing, he must be feeling real good.", he said making Cornelia and Irma laugh as well.

For the rest of the day, the four friends had fun talking about the good times before the war started. But soon it was time to go back to Heatherfield, for night was soon coming.

"Well, today was fun!", Matt said. "Thanks for the visit."

"Anytime, Olsen!", Irma said as she and Matt shared a hug. "I'll be back to visit again, along with Andrew.".

"I'll be waiting.", Matt said as they pulled away from each other.

"We're rooting for you.", Irma said.

"Thanks.", Matt said.

"See ya later, Matt.", Cornelia said as they shared a hug.

"See ya, Cornelia.", Matt said as they pulled away from each other.

"Never give up.", Cornelia said with a smile.

"I won't.", Matt said returning the smile.

"It was good seeing you again, man.", Angelo said as he and Matt shook hands.

"Same here.", Matt said.

"I wish you all the luck, Matt.", Angelo said. "I hope to see you out of here soon. And when that happens, you're getting one heck of a party!"

"Looking forward to it.", Matt said with a smile.

As his friends left, Matt watched them drive off and away from the center. Once they were gone, he went back to his room and laid in his bed. Suddenly, he felt the shakes come back. He did his best to hide it from Angelo and the girls and did well. But now they were back. Matt then closed his eyes and...

"Please Lord, give me the strength to get through this.", he prayed. "Not just for myself. But for those close to me and that are praying and hoping for me as well."

A few minutes later, the shakes stopped. Feeling this, Matt smiled knowing that he was indeed getting better.

"Thank you. Lord.", he said as he closed his eyes and slowly felt asleep.

Watching him from her Viewing Pool, in Kandrakar was Will who had a smile on her face.

"Stay strong, Matt.", she said with a smile. "And never give up. Please give him the strength to get through this, Lord.", she prayed hoping for the best.

_**Thanks again to Lexvan for writing this chapter. Will Matt become regent again? Who knows? Chris is still jealous, so we'll have to see if there's room for more than one masked, flying humanoid among the regents.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Days passed in Heatherfield. Irma and Cornelia continued to faithfully follow their sacred duty to watch over Hay Lin, while Andrew and Angelo took care of their recovering, but still vulnerable minds. Things were not over so quickly, however. While they were safe in their dreams, they would still get flashbacks when they were awake, new memories from a time in their lives that they wished had never happened. Hay Lin, of course, used this to her advantage, and learned what Irma and Cornelia's "flashback faces" looked like. There was never a repeat of the disastrous first visit, but sometimes they would both have to abruptly leave.

Things weren't all bad either, though. They were very much at ease whenever their lovers hypnotized them, or as Irma liked to call it, a brain massage. They helped them set up defenses in their minds, to help them resist Hay Lin's bullying. They also built a special place in their minds together, where they could go whenever they felt troubled, and all they had to do to get there was close their eyes and concentrate a bit. For Irma, it was a warm pool at the bottom of a waterfall. It was inspired by screensavers, and some of Andrew's descriptions of Erutan. For Cornelia, it was a big serenity garden, full of exotic plants, flowers, and trees that she had seen from her missions to other worlds, plus some things that Angelo saw in his travels. They would often go to this special place for peace, when they were on the bus to a job interview, walking home alone, or going to and from the Silver Dragon.

However, they still had their ups and downs. And during those downs, their memories could be overwhelming. And they remembered more and more, one flashback at a time. About a month after arriving back on Earth, their memories continued to weigh heavily on their conscience, and they started to worry that they might not be able to make peace with them, even with the good lives they were trying to build. Angelo and Andrew had done some reading on the subject, and believed they had found a way to help them. The two former guardians talked about it, among other things, on the way back from another visit to the Silver Dragon.

"So how'd that interview with the Park Service go?" Irma asked, very amused at the thought of Cornelia with a Smokey Bear hat.

"Well…" she started, with a grin. "…they were really impressed when I told them about the Woolly Adelgids*. They didn't even know, so they tested for it on the spot!" She chuckled. "I'd say I'm looking pretty good for them."

"Yeah, let's hope I do well at the Aquarium tomorrow." Irma answered.

"You've always been all about water, how could they not hire you?"

"I know, I shouldn't worry…" Then she changed the subject after a few seconds. "…Andrew thinks he's found a way to stop the flashbacks…"

"Angelo told me the same thing. Do you think you want to go through with it?"

"I know we've done a lot just in the last month, but I kinda feel like rebuilding my life would be way easier if I didn't keep getting visions of myself hurting someone or bowing down to Hay-Hey."

"I can't argue with that."

"So, you up for a brain massage tonight to see if this works, then dinner?"

"That sounds good…you think Andrew could whip up that Chicken Cordon Bleu?"

Irma's mouth watered at the thought. "I sure hope so…"

They both walked up a hill to Irma and Andrew's new house overlooking the Heatherfield Cliffs. It was a pretty big house that they managed to purchase for a surprisingly low price. Cornelia, Angelo, and Ehren would often spend time there.

Later that evening, the six of them went into Andrew and Irma's bedroom. Irma and Cornelia sat on the bed, while Ehren and Edeline sat on an ottoman by the window. Angelo began to explain what they wanted to do. "So I think we can wall off all your memories from when you were enthralled, until you're ready to face them. That should be able to stop the flashbacks, at least for a while."

"So if this works, we won't remember anything?" Cornelia asked.

"Not exactly." Angelo explained. "You'll still remember the facts of what happened, since you've gone over most of what you remember anyway, and you'll be aware of the passage of time. But you won't be able to recall any events, or images or sounds from them."

Andrew added. "So there won't be anything to fuel your flashbacks."

"Sounds like a good deal to me." Irma answered.

"It's not fair." The former guardians and their boyfriends turned their heads to see a frustrated looking Edeline.

Irma had to suppress the urge to tell Edeline that a lot of things aren't fair, figuring that years of war and the loss of her family had already taught her that. She went over and sat down next to her on the ottoman. "Which part isn't fair?"

"What Hay Lin did to you." She said. "She got what she wanted, and you've got the guilt."

"And now she gets to taunt you about it." Ehren interjected.

"You shouldn't have to live with that." There was guilt in her own voice as well. Guilt at being afraid of Irma in the rebellion, despite the stories Andrew had told her, and when it was clear that she was just as much a victim as anyone else. Edeline suddenly felt Irma's hand on her shoulder.

"Hey…" Irma said trying to calm her down. "…what happened to us was…beyond words…but still we definitely didn't have it the worst."

"What do you mean?" Edeline asked looking up.

"Well, for one thing, we've still got our parents." Immediately realizing how that could be taken she continued. "And they see you as their own granddaughter."

"Plus, we got a chance to fight back." Cornelia added. "Back in Kandrakar, the trial was full of people who would have been on our side in a heartbeat, some of them were until Hay Lin took them, and some weren't even aware of what happened until the war was already over. But thanks to Will and the others, we got a second chance. And we'll always be grateful for that."

"And I'm grateful I got to meet the real you." Ehren said.

"Oh come here you!" and Cornelia gave her a big hug.

"So are we ready to do this?" Irma asked as she got up.

Ehren nodded as she and Cornelia looked at each other. "Yup."

They both went back to the bed where Angelo and Andrew were waiting. "Ready?" Andrew asked.

"Ready." Irma answered, taking a deep breath and loosening her shoulders. Cornelia did the same.

Angelo and Andrew each sat down with their lovers, looking into their eyes. When they saw they were ready, they focused on their power, and their eyes flashed. Irma and Cornelia's eyes changed as they went into trance. This was not the first time Ehren and Edeline had watched, so they were not freaked out by the zombie-esque eyes as they were at first. "Feeling alright?" Andrew asked.

"Mmm-hmmm…" Irma answered in a blissful, relaxed tone.

"Yes." Cornelia answered in a similar tone.

"Now lie back down and close your eyes…" Angelo said. They both did so.

"Make sure you're nice and comfy." Andrew added. Cornelia lay down with her hands on her legs, while Irma put her hands together over her lower stomach.

"…Now let's go to that special place, where it's always peaceful, and where you can talk about anything…" Angelo continued as he guided them in the direction they needed to go. In their minds, they could see that special place all around them. They were totally at peace, letting the sound of Angelo's voice carry them wherever it did. "Now we've all come a long way in the last month, haven't we? The euphoria of the final battle's worn off, and you're feeling a lot better about yourselves, and healthier, than you had before, right?"

They both nodded. "And Hay Lin still taunts you when you go to see her, but you know that's the only thing she can do now, her power is broken. And the responsibility Will's given you is tough, but you know you'll be able to handle it." They nodded again. "Now, what thought comes into your mind whenever Hay Lin or anyone else calls you a killer?"

They both answered in unison "I am not a killer, because I choose not to be."

"That's right." Andrew interjected. "It feels good to say that, doesn't it? It feels right, and it makes sense, because you know it's true." They both nodded again, their faces seeming to affirm what he was telling them. And they did. That thought was settled deep in their minds, and it didn't feel like they were in denial, but that they truly did not deserve to have such a label weighing them down.

Angelo continued. "Now let's go back to a bad day in your past. I'm talking about the day, years ago, that Hay Lin took you. She lured you into a trap. Then she sent you into a nightmare - a nightmare that you wouldn't escape for years." They both started to breath heavily as the expressions on their faces became more stressed, light moans escaping them.

Ehren and Edeline watched as their adoptive mothers became visibly disturbed in their trances. Edeline almost wanted to get up and tell Angelo to stop hurting them. But then Andrew spoke. "Now you know no one blames you for falling into that trap. Yan Lin got really good at laying traps over the years, and we all fell into one of them." Irma and Cornelia seemed to relax a bit, but still appeared stressed and scared, as their minds were still focused on that terrible day. Not many people can pinpoint one day and call it the worst day of their life, but for these two it was easy, though for Irma it was a toss-up between then and the day she almost escaped.

"That day was a terrible day…" Angelo continued. "…so let's go somewhere else now. Let's go to the day you woke up from that nightmare. And Irma, I'm talking about on Arkhanta." Suddenly their heavy breathing relaxed again, and their expressions now appeared much more pleasant. "Remember how wonderful it was? How we were all there, and how happy everyone was to see you finally free?" They now had joyous smiles on their faces, tears of happiness flowing from their closed eyes as they relived that day.

"Yes." They both moaned happily through their tears.

"That day you found your family was still alive and well, waiting right there for you…" Andrew added, sitting down close to Irma, enjoying her reaction. She was overwhelmed with the same joy she felt that day, as was Cornelia.

"You could think for yourselves again." Angelo said. "Heck, you could think. Period!"

Andrew softly caressed Irma's face. "…and you would never be forced to do anything evil again."

They made another moan as they continued to cry with joy. That day could truly have been the best day of their lives. Who would have ever thought waking up in a dark, damp basement would be a happy occasion? How many times since that wonderful day did they stop what they were doing and go to their parents to cry shamelessly like children? How many times did either of them barge into Will's tent just to thank her? As Ehren and Edeline watched, they wished they could have been there that day. Maybe they wouldn't have been so scared of their future adoptive mothers. But they were all together now, and that was really all that mattered.

Angelo then went back to what he was saying. "That was a wonderful day. Now I want you to think about something else." The joy they were experiencing subsided as they re-focused on Angelo's voice. "I want you to imagine a door. And not just any door. This is a big, huge, thick door. Several layers of steel. Nothing could get past that door. Actually…just a minute, hold that thought." He turned to Ehren and Edeline. "Wasn't there a huge thick door that you couldn't get through on one of your missions to another world?"

"Oh yeah! That thing was impossible, it was like shooting Nerf darts or something!" Ehren answered, remembering what a frustrating time they had.

"Ugh…we went at that thing for hours, every possible combination of our powers, and couldn't even make a dent!" Edeline added.

"But you still got through it, though. How'd you manage that?" Angelo asked.

"Well…uh…" Ehren hesitated, feeling embarrassed. "…Ilana figured out the password…"

"Ah-hah!" Angelo said. He turned back to Irma and Cornelia. "Now that's how tough that door is. Nothing could possibly get through it. But you have the key." Both he and Andrew took one of their lover's hands and clenched it, as if they had just given them something small and important. "Now that door is open, and everything that happened between that terrible day, and that wonderful day, are going behind that door. All those memories, even memories that haven't come back to you, are all going behind that door. All of those events, everything you were forced to do, all going back behind that door. And now the door shuts. Now it's locked, and you have the key." He said to them. "Now you can face your memories when you're ready. You will have to face them one day, but now it will be on your terms, because you own your memories – your memories do not own you. And until then, they can't come back to haunt you. No more nightmares, no more flashbacks."

They both nodded, now looking very calm and serene. "Now let's go back to that special place. We're going to release you from the hypnosis. When I count to three, you'll be awake, feeling relaxed and refreshed, and you'll remember everything that we talked about. One, coming back…two, mind returning to normal…three! Wide awake!"

They took a deep breath, and their eyes fluttered open as they let out a satisfied sigh. Their eyes returned to normal, Irma's deep blue and Cornelia's icy blue. "Feeling better?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah…" Irma said with a light smile as she sat up. "…way better."

"So, here's the important question…" Andrew asked "…do you remember being enthralled to Hay Lin?"

Irma looked down for a minute, then rubbed her head. "That's weird…" she said.

"How so?"

"Well…I know about what happened and everything, but I just can't picture any of it…"

"That's the idea." Angelo said. "You'll come back to your memories when you're ready."

Cornelia wrapped her arms around Angelo and said "I really hope this works."

"I do to."

"So do we!" Ehren and Edeline said as they joined their new parents on the bed. Then something made a rumbling sound. Ehren's cheeks turned red.

"That reminds me." Irma announced. "Andrew…Corny and I were talking about your famous Chicken Cordon Bleu earlier today…"

Andrew looked at Irma, then at everyone else, thought for a few seconds, and said "Coming right up."

…..

Three flashback-free days later, Irma and Cornelia were feeling better than any time since they got back to Earth. And now they were back on their mission to watch over Hay Lin, though this time it was in the evening. Irma was wearing her brand new Heatherfield Aquarium t-shirt, while Cornelia had her park ranger uniform. They wondered how Hay Lin would react to seeing them.

"So what do you think it'll be tonight? Denial? Rage? Delirium?" Irma asked.

They didn't need to wait long to find out. Hay Lin came out of the kitchen and stood in front of them, eyes closed, looking like she was fuming. "Place your order!" She said bluntly, in a harsh, commanding tone.

"The usual…" Cornelia answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, same here…" Irma answered with a similar expression. Hay Lin didn't say another word and forcefully walked back to the kitchen.

"Uh, D, all of the above?" Cornelia tried to answer Irma's question.

They both looked at each other, then back towards the kitchen door, then back at each other. Then went back to talking. "Hey, did you notice the chicken soup here isn't as good as it was before?" Cornelia asked.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing. One thing I will say about old Yannie, she made a mean chicken soup." Irma answered with a shiver.

Suddenly bowls of soup were placed in front of them. "You may eat." Hay Lin said in a cold voice.

"Are we playing that game again?" Irma asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Silence!" Hay Lin shouted, as if she believed she still had some kind of power. Although they still had a lot of accepting to do, Irma and Cornelia had managed to avoid becoming train wrecks thanks to the help and support of their lovers, friends, and families. The same could not be said for Hay Lin. She was still living by the same philosophy that her grandmother taught her: you are born alone, you die alone, and strength can only be found alone. Well, if this was Hay Lin's idea of strength, neither of her observers wanted to know what weakness looked like. Right now, her mind was somewhere between past and present, between fantasy and reality.

"I guess that answers your question." Cornelia said rolling her eyes. She turned back to Hay Lin "Now, we could have a normal conversation if you'd-"

Hay Lin banged her hand on the table "Stop that! I know I taught you better manners!" She was heavily breathing in and out. "Even the perfect killers should have good manners…"

They both looked at her with conviction and Cornelia calmly stated "I am not a killer, because I choose not to be." Irma mouthed the same phrase, no need for both to be loud about it.

Hay Lin tensed up in reaction. She hated that phrase, and the authority with which they would say it. Then she thought of something and calmed down a bit, a malicious smirk appeared on her face to hide her tension. "Tell that to Bess…"

"I have, and she believes me." Cornelia answered.

She fumed again, ready to scream until she heard the sound of a plate spilling elsewhere in the restaurant. She immediately pointed to Irma and ordered her "Clean up that trash!"

"I'm pretty sure that's the staff's job, Hay. I'm a customer."

Hay Lin's rage was working its way to the surface. She took a deep, loud breath and pushed their soup bowls off the table. Cornelia had to jump out of the way to avoid getting spilled on. They both gave her a frustrated look. "Then clean _that _up!"

Cornelia sighed. "Now you're just making a bigger mess."

She couldn't take this anymore, this defiance, talking to her like she's some kind of child. She fumed as her rage took over and quickly grabbed the knife from Irma's placemat. "OBEY ME!"

Their memories may have been on lockdown, but all that assassination training was still there just the same. Almost as quickly as it happened, Irma had Hay Lin's wrist in her hand, pointing the knife away while Cornelia had her other arm pinned to her back. "Okay, let's put the knife down, you could hurt somebody with that thing." Irma pushed down on a pressure point, and Hay Lin's fingers reflexively straightened. "That's a good girl." She said as the knife fell to the floor. They let Hay Lin go, and she breathed heavily as her body went limp. She moaned, then clenched her fists and let out a low pitched scream, storming back to the kitchen.

They let out a deep breath. "Well, that's enough excitement for one day." Irma exclaimed as they backed away from the booth.

"Yeah, looks like dinner's ruined, though…" Cornelia said looking at the spilled soup.

"Hey, everything alright down here?" They turned to see Martin.

"It is now. Just a little spill." Said Irma.

"Alright we'll get that cleaned up. The meal's on us."

"Thanks Martin." Irma gave him a little kiss on the cheek, making him blush.

"Let's hope Alchemy didn't see that." Cornelia said with a smile.

"See what?" They all turned and saw who it was. "Is someone trying to take my big cuddly wuddly snuggie pie from me?" Alchemy asked as she walked towards Martin, giving him an Eskimo kiss.

"Well look at the time, we've gotta hit the road…see you guys later…" Cornelia said as she tugged at Irma, and they both walked out. "So you still hungry?"

"Give it fifteen minutes and my appetite should be back."

Cornelia shrugged. "That was nothing worse than you and Andrew."

"You should see yourself and Angelo…"

"Speaking of which, they probably haven't eaten yet, wanna surprise them with Pizza?"

Irma pulled out her phone. "Sounds good to me."

That night, after dinner, both former Guardians hugged their boyfriends and adopted daughters tighter than before. After the events of the last few days and this evening, they were all the more grateful for the life they were now building.

_**So Cornelia and Irma have all their enthrallment memories locked away! They'll have to face them someday, what's going to happen then? And what did Cornelia mean when she said that Bess believes her?**_

_**Also, it sounds a bit confusing, but it turns out that the memory of skills and training is a very different kind of memory than the memory of events. For example, they say once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget how. That's true. In fact, most people don't remember their first few times riding a bike, or their most basic lessons in any skill they have, and they don't need to in order to perform them.**_

_***And about Woolly Adelgids. They are a parasitic bug that nests in and feeds on trees, and can be devastating to a forest. I figured that being able to listen to the trees is a very passive power, so Cornelia wouldn't need to use much of her life force to do it.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N It's been some time, but here's chapter 6**_

_**Marcus Vanders is Lexvan's OC**_

Will Vandom had been serving as the new Oracle for more than a month now, and every day she would check up on her old friends, though they wouldn't know she was watching. However, she was pleased and relieved at the progress they were all making in rebuilding their lives. One day, after she watched the new guardians walking out of school, she closed that viewing pool and opened up another, to observe the happenings on a different world…

On Meridian, most people had been spending the last month or so trying to get back to normal. For some people that meant rebuilding their homes, or even entire towns. For others, it meant cleaning up their houses and replanting their crops. And even more only had to make minor adjustments. But for one Queen Elyon, the responsibility covered an entire world.

Since her return to the throne, Elyon was overwhelmed with the demands of her kingdom. During that time, she had surrounded herself with people she could trust, so that she could get back to ruling benevolently. Right now, however, she was in the throne room entertaining her favorite guest, Marcus. Today, Marcus was dressed in a black tunic with blue trimmings, white pants, and black boots.

"Is there a reason for me wearing this getup?" He asked.

"Only so I can bestow an official title upon you…" she answered with a grin. "I'll need you to bend down." He did so, lightly bowing to the Queen. She placed a medallion around his neck and said "Marcus Vanders, you are now Consort to the Queen." He blushed, and Elyon's adoptive parents, who had been imprisoned at Cavigor during the war, applauded.

Marcus stood up straight again. "So, what does this mean?" He asked awkwardly. "What do I have to do?"

"Well…" she began, obviously enjoying this, "…You will serve as my advisor. You'll help me make decisions, keep me up to date, and…some…other things. You know, royal stuff." She said. "You'll also have your own quarters."

"That sounds easy enough." He said with a smile, like he was about to say something devious. "But I had the thought that we might be sharing quarters pretty soon…"

"Marcus! How scandalous!" Elyon gasped, with a similar smile on her face. "But on a more serious note, I know you've been talking to more than just me here. So do you have any news from the kingdom for me?"

"Actually I do." He said. "Constable Vathek told me some people were causing trouble at a town meeting in the capital recently."

"Well that doesn't seem all that bad."

"Except that, according to Vathek, they were stirring up trouble about you."

"Alright, that's disturbing…but still, not the worst given what's already happened."

"True." Marcus continued. "He said those men were chased out of town quickly, but similar things have been happening around the kingdom."

"Really?" She asked, now more concerned. "How long has this been going on?"

"Not very long." He said. "But similar things have been happening around the kingdom. I can show you on the map if you'd like."

"Let's go."

The two of them went into the map room, along with Nerissa and Raythor. Marcus pointed to a location on one of the continents. "The people of this area, so I've heard, are particularly wary of you on the throne."

"With all due respect, your majesty." Raythor interrupted. "That province particularly suffered during the war." He said, despite knowing that she did not want to talk about the war, felt that it was important information. Raythor's appearance was mostly the same as before the war, only now in addition to his sword and his dagger, he also had a revolver on his side and an AK-47 slung over his shoulder.

Elyon tried to hide her feelings after that comment. She knew that horrible things happened to her people when Hay Lin was in charge, and many of those things may have been by her own hand. And while she had freely chosen not to remember those years, the rest of Meridian certainly did.

Nerissa spoke up next. "I've spoken with people in the capital as well, and heard rumors of unrest here and here." She said as she pointed to two other places on the map.

"I've heard about the same thing happening there too." Marcus said. "Outsiders walking in on town meetings and stirring up trouble, calling for revolt or secession. Only they weren't thrown out like they were in the capital. It seems like they have some support."

"Captain Drake's told me the Garrison's found the same thing in villages not far from the capital." Raythor added. Because most of their time under Hay Lin's power was spent on Earth, Drake and Aldarn were able to salvage their reputations somewhat quickly. "They had to break up a brawl after someone called you names I'd rather not repeat."

Elyon looked at the map, deep in thought. She pointed at the continent where the people suffered most severely. "I'm going to visit them next week." She said. The three of them looked shocked at her.

"Elyon, are you sure?" Nerissa asked. "After Vertex was purged from me, it still took time even for my own son to fully accept me."

"I've made my decision." She stated firmly. "How am I supposed to win back the trust of my people if I don't face them myself?"

They walked back into the throne room, where her adoptive parents were waiting. "Father, we are to begin preparations to travel to the provincial capital, Bronzetown. Make sure the governor knows of our plans."

"Your majesty…" Raythor interrupted. "…that won't be necessary. There's nothing left of Bronzetown."

"What?" She asked in surprise. "What happened?"

"I wasn't there." Raythor said. "But when the former Air Guardian came to power, the people of that province stood against her almost immediately. She made an example of them. From what I heard, she wanted to test out Gargoyle after makin' 'im bigger. A few hundred lurdens with torches finished the job."

Elyon paused. Her hand was shaking a bit, but her face looked numb. "The plan is still on. We need to find where their new capital is and inform the authorities of our arrival."

"I'm on it." Marcus said.

"Thank you." She answered. "You are all dismissed." She said as she headed to her room.

Nerissa saw Elyon's face as she walked off. She went to Marcus after Elyon left. "I'll find that out." She said. "You should follow her." Marcus nodded and made his way to her quarters.

…

The next week, Elyon and her entourage teletransported to the town hall of the new provincial capital, a small village compared to what was destroyed. The governor, a green-skinned galhot wearing an official cape, greeted them himself.

"Your Majesty…" he began. "Most of the people of this village, and this province, will not be pleased to see you. Many of the politicians and nobles here are entertaining the notion of cutting all ties with the throne."

"I'm aware of what's happened here." Elyon said. "That's why I want to speak to the people directly."

"It may be more difficult than you expect, my queen." He answered. Outside, a crowd was gathering around the temporary stage built for the Queen's speech.

Elyon took a deep breath before walking outside, accompanied by the governor, Marcus, Tynar, and some of his men. The crowd was loud before they walked out, but as soon as Elyon took the stage, they fell silent. She could feel the tension in the air. She could also see their faces, some angry, others fearful, very few were happy to see her, or if they were they hid it while they were among the others. Elyon cleared her throat. "In the last few years, we have all suffered greatly, but I hope-"

"Bold words from someone who sat comfortably on the throne while WE suffered!" Someone shouted cutting her off. His comment drew cheers and jeers from the crowd.

"I –" she tried to continue. She didn't want to blame everything on being enthralled, because that would make her seem weak. But before she could say anything more, someone else shouted.

"And she even let Phobos live with her!" A woman remarked.

"And the sorceress!" Someone else shouted, referring to Nerissa.

"Tyranny must run in the family!" The entire crowd went into an uproar, with someone finally throwing a rotten cabbage towards Elyon. It missed, but then more people began throwing things as the crowd became emboldened.

Elyon raised a force shield, protecting her and her entourage from anything being thrown at them, making the crowd fall silent. She turned around, facing Marcus, and looked at the ground. She let out a sigh. "We're going." She said as she led them back into the town hall and teletransported back to the castle. Before they left, they could hear the crowd cheering like they had scored a victory.

…

Elyon didn't know what to do now. She feared this unrest could spread and destabilize the whole kingdom. So the next day, she walked into the castle garden, to a little cottage at the edge of the castle grounds. She walked in to speak to her brother, Phobos.

"And what brings my dear sister to my humble abode?" He asked, sounding like he was hiding something, though that would be impossible as he had been stripped of all his magic. Phobos was sitting in a chair drinking tea. He now looked very much like he did when he was glamoured on Earth.

"I have a problem." She answered.

"So I've heard." He said. "It is said that the people are revolting."

"You say that like you resent them."

"Why of course not, little sister." He said with a devious smile. "I just know how troublesome an unruly population can be…"

"Phobos, I'm not going to repress my own people, especially after all that's happened."

His face changed to a more discontented expression and his tone of voice changed to match. "Please don't remind me of the things I was manipulated into doing. Besides, there are other ways than brute force to bring the people to your side."

"I know." She said sounding concerned and uneasy. "I've tried reaching out to the most devastated community, but they threw it right back at me."

"You should also know…" Phobos continued "…that when benevolence fails, fear can be highly motivating."

"Are you saying I should intimidate my people into following me?" She asked frustrated, beginning to question how much her brother had really changed.

"Not at all." He said. "I found that a population quickly becomes much more…reasonable...when they believe that they must turn to you for protection."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"Why not start a rumor in those unruly provinces?" He asked. "The fear of the unknown on their part, plus a renewed commitment to security on yours, could make for a very peaceful, stable kingdom." He said, his devious smile returning to his face.

"I don't like that idea."

"It appears my little sister is beginning to understand that leadership means making difficult decisions. And since you came to my cottage to chat, I assumed you wanted my help." He said as he put his tea down.

Elyon sighed. She had to stop herself from reminding him that she's on the throne while he's on a couch. "I still don't like it, but what do I need to do?"

"I believe I can put you in touch with an old contact of mine…"

…..

Several days later, Elyon was standing in the map room, with Marcus, and a small, wrinkled green creature. She pointed towards the province she had visited earlier. "Do you know anyone in this region?"

"Oh yes…" he said in a sniveling voice. "… Jeek know many there…"

"And what about these places?"

"Yes… Jeek very well traveled…"

"That's good. We need the people of this region to believe that lurdens are gathering in large numbers, and some criminals have been spotted with them." She said as she pointed toward the province she had recently visited. Then she pointed to another area. "And this region has had a particularly wet season. That could mean more mudslugs and larveks multiplying, and they're hungry."

"They not like Queen there." Jeek said as he looked at the map. "Queen wants to scare them?"

"I want to show them that they can count on me for protection." She replied, somewhat indignantly.

"Jeek understand. And Jeek can do this too…but what in it for Jeek?"

"We have many goods to offer you…" She said.

"Goods from Earth." Marcus added. "Valuable, rare goods."

"And…" Elyon continued. "…we're prepared to grant you full immunity for life. But that's only if the job goes well. Is that understood?"

"Oh yes…Jeek understand. And Jeek will do!"

"Then go, I'll see you when you get back."

Jeek left the room and the castle to do the job he was given. Elyon went closer to Marcus and said "I really hope I know what I'm doing…"

"I hope you do to." He answered.

Elyon looked back at him and said "I don't like this anymore than you do, but I feel like I've run out of options."

"I'll stand by you…" He said in an honest voice. "…but I gotta say, I don't think I would have done this."

"I just wish none of this ever happened…" she said looking at the ground. Marcus came closer and they held each other for a while. Then they went back into the throne room so Elyon could continue with her normal duties.

…..

Days passed, and Jeek had yet to return. Elyon wondered if this would actually succeed. How would she know? Would they send a letter requesting help? Should she go there herself and offer aid? What if it doesn't work? That was the most uncertain question. It's not like the rumors could be traced right back to the castle, could they? Either way, she would find out sooner or later.

As Elyon sat in her study drafting a document, Marcus came in with a scroll. "This just arrived from a messenger. It's from a town called Shellsbrad."

Elyon perked up. "Let's see it!" And she took the scroll and opened it. It read:

"To her Majesty, Queen Elyon of Meridian,

We have heard strange rumors of mudslugs and other creatures growing and multiplying in this region. These rumors have been alarming to some of our people. However, we have sent out surveyors who report nothing to confirm any of these stories. We normally would not bring this to the attention of our Queen, however another rumor has begun to spread, that the first rumor came from the castle itself, and some have begun to believe it. Any information to clarify this matter would be greatly appreciated."

Elyon gulped. "Okay, this isn't good." She slowly handed the scroll back to Marcus so he could read it. "I think I shouldn't have done this." She said in a concerned voice.

Marcus read the letter. "Hey, come on now, everyone makes mistakes." However, before Marcus could do anything more to try and cheer her up, her adoptive father came in with another scroll.

"This came from the post office in the Capital. Whoever brought it didn't want to deliver it to you."

"I feel like this couldn't get any worse." She said, depressed.

Her father handed her the scroll. She opened it and read:

"To whom it may concern,

Attempts to intimidate our people in order to curry favor are intolerable and unworthy of anyone who calls herself Queen of all Meridian. This province no longer recognizes any monarch, nor the throne on which she sits."

"It just got worse…" Elyon said and put her head down on her desk.

"Hey, you still have allies." Marcus said trying to calm her. "And most of the kingdom is still on your side."

"Thanks…" she said, though it didn't make her feel any better. "…I just know I shouldn't take advice from Phobos…"

"Every leader makes mistakes." Her father said.

"I know…there's one thing I need to do now…" She said and got up and walked out.

Shortly after, Elyon was sitting back on her throne, and Raythor walked in. He knelt on one knee and put his fist against his chest. "You called, your Majesty."

"Yes, please stand, Raythor." She said and began to explain. "Raythor, I used a dishonorable method of leadership and tried to deceive my people in order to curry favor. And it backfired. I swear that I will never use such deceptive tactics again, and to rule with honor for as long as I remain on this throne."

"Then my oath to serve you still stands. So swears Raythor!" He swore to her.

"Thank you. Is there any news?"

"Yes, your Majesty. Aldarn and Aketon have built their first working gunpowder-based cannon. Production is ready to begin at your order."

"You have it." She said with a sigh, and dismissed him. "…I just hope we don't have to use any of that any time soon…" She said to herself after he was gone.

Back in her quarters, Elyon confided with Marcus. "I feel like I've made the biggest mistake as Queen. I lied to my own kingdom. The worst thing is, I still don't know how bad this could get."

"Don't beat yourself up." He said with his arm around her. "Whatever happens, I'll stay with you. I believe in you."

"Thanks…" she said, trying to smile. "…all I know now, though, is we're going to have tough times ahead of us…"

_**So this chapter had quite a different ending than the other chapters so far. Elyon's having some trouble ruling Meridian, and it looks like she just got herself into more trouble. Also, thank you to Lexvan for allowing me to use his OC, Marcus.**_

_**Also, Phobos' line "It is said that the people are revolting" is a direct reference to Mel Brooks' History of the World Part I  
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	7. Chapter 7

_**I know it's been a long time since I uploaded, but here's the next chapter.**_

Taranee was sitting in her living room, sipping tea with two old friends, Irma and Cornelia. Their gazes went back and forth between each other and the beautiful mountain view. There were psych books scattered around the room. They had been discussing recent developments in their visits to Hay Lin. "Well, from what you've told me, I'd say she's delusional. Definitely cognitive dissonance or just plain old denial."

"You're telling me." Cornelia commented as she sipped her tea.

"A big part of her hasn't accepted that she lost, that she has no power anymore, and that you're no longer her thralls. And that's because she doesn't want to accept it."

"If I were in her shoes I'd be pretty nostalgic too." Irma quipped.

"But speaking of all that…" Taranee began to say. "…there's still a lot of things that I think you two need to accept in order to move on."

"What do you mean?" Irma asked.

"Well, first thing, it was definitely a good move to have your memories locked away. If you remembered half the things I saw you doing, you'd have a real hard time living with yourselves."

"Thanks for the reminder…" Irma said rolling her eyes.

"But you know that no one blames you for any of that. But I can tell you're still blaming yourselves for something."

Cornelia suddenly raised an eyebrow.

Taranee continued. "I think it's not so much for the things she made you do…as it is that you blame yourselves…for not resisting her. Is that it?"

They both went wide-eyed and sat up straight when they heard her ask that. "Are you using your life force to read our minds?" Cornelia asked.

"Nope. I just know you." She answered with a confident smile.

Cornelia went back to her tea. "So what are these things we need to accept?" Irma asked.

"Well, for one thing, that you could be completely controlled by someone else."

"I'm pretty sure we've figured that one out." Irma answered in a somewhat frustrated tone.

"Then why do you still blame yourselves?" Taranee asked. Neither Irma nor Cornelia answered. "Remember when we were under the spell of the Horn of Hypnos? Or how about that time when that evil wizard mind-zapped me and made me betray all of you? Remember how much trouble I got you guys into?"

"Yeah, we almost got killed." Cornelia said remembering what happened.

"But that wasn't your fault." Irma said.

"I know." Taranee replied. "But did you notice how much easier it was to tell me what I was made to do wasn't my fault than to accept that what you were made to do wasn't yours?"

They both paused.

"The point I'm trying to make is that it's important to accept that free will isn't always absolute. One moment you can be totally in control of your actions, and the next you can be a puppet on strings. And that can happen to anyone, so you shouldn't blame yourselves."

"But I know we did try to resist sometimes…" Cornelia said.

"I even broke out once." Irma added.

"Right, when you saw one of us nearby."

"I think that's just the thing." Irma explained. "Andrew kissing me, or seeing Chris with Lilian could shock me out of Hay Lin's control, but all the terrible things she made me do, I don't think I resisted at all." She said. Cornelia nodded with her.

"That's totally normal." Taranee answered. "Or at least as far as your situation was, it was normal. You might have tried to resist at first, but her spell was just too strong. And without any hope of escape, you stopped resisting. Then you became numb to everything she forced you to do. The same thing would have happened to anyone, and no one has any right to blame you for it." She explained. "You tried to resist when we were around because that gave you hope, and that's why Hay Lin reinforced her spell so much, she knew that you two would try to break free every time we were near you. And eventually, you succeeded."

They both took in what she said as they sipped their tea. Cornelia then spoke up. "The thing is, it just doesn't feel right that we get to live good, happy lives after so many people were hurt because of us."

"You stood up for all of those people when we stood against Hay Lin." She said. "And you have to admit, we were pretty awesome out there." She added with a cocky smile.

"Yeah, that's true…" Irma said with a similar confident smile as she stared off, remembering that epic battle where they faced Hay Lin head on.

"But in all seriousness, to put yourselves at ease with all this, I think you should focus on one person who you know Hay Lin used you to hurt, and make things right with them. That should give you some peace." Irma and Cornelia understood the logic behind what Taranee was saying, and agreed with her. "And, from what I can gather…I think you two have already started on that." They both looked like they were thinking of something, and Taranee smiled.

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, laughing, going outside and enjoying the scenery. When Irma and Cornelia had to get back, they hugged Taranee goodbye at the front door. "I just hope we'll be as accepting of all this as you are." Irma said before leaving.

"Just give it time." Taranee said before waving them goodbye.

When they were gone, Taranee went back into her living room, looking at all the psych books scattered across the floor. *_Exams are in 2 weeks, and I've only gotten through one book!* _she thought to herself. Then she looked at a picture on a table beside the couch. It was a picture of her whole family – Her mom, dad, Peter, and herself, all looking happy. She picked it up, smiling at the memory. Then something she hadn't noticed building up came out. Her fingers traced over the faces, and soon enough she burst into tears and held the picture close to her. She then lay down on the couch, crying uncontrollably while clutching the picture.

_Flashback_

The days after coming back for a break from College were surreal for Taranee. Her powers coming back a month ago was strange enough, but now her family was acting strange, and Irma and Cornelia had moved in with Hay Lin after their families mysteriously disappeared, and were trying to coerce her into getting in on her "business opportunity." The most disturbing part was that when she told her parents about it, they said she should work for Hay Lin too! After getting into contact with Caleb and Nigel, they agreed on a place to meet later that night.

She was sure that Hay Lin, Irma, and Cornelia had done something to her family. She didn't know what, and didn't want to know. All she knew was that they weren't themselves, and she had to get to Caleb before she could even think about what to do next. She was about to head out, when her mother, her father, and Peter confronted her. Now they were trying to kill her. Lionel lunged at her, but she jumped out of the way. Then she felt her head being jerked back by her hair, only to see that it was her mother. "You should have listened!" She shouted with an angry voice.

Taranee jabbed her mother with her elbow and jumped free. "Stop!" She shouted. "What are you doing?" None of them answered, and she tried to get away, running to the kitchen. But then Peter came at her with a knife, their mother and father behind him. He violently slashed at her, but Taranee jumped out of the way. "Come on Peter! Stop it!" But as soon as she dodged one, the other two would be right there, like they were in perfect teamwork.

Again, peter lunged at her. But this time, when she dodged, she tried to talk to him. "Come on, Peter, it's me!" After dodging another slash, she yelled "Remember, little sis, big bro forever?" But he barely stopped, he seemed to hesitate, but still looked at her with blank eyes like he didn't even recognize her. In fact, they all looked at her like she was a stranger. Then she tried to contact him telepathically. Putting her fingers to her temple, she projected her thoughts…*_Peter, it's me, Taranee. Can you hear me?* _But she could feel something was blocking her. She tried harder. *_Come on Peter, it's me!*_ She could still feel that same thing blocking her out, but then she heard something faint. A groan, just for a second. Then he went back to slashing at her. She gasped, and concentrated again, trying to read his mind. She heard that same groan, a groan of agony. Then she focused on her mother. Trying hard, she found she was also being blocked out, but it felt like the same thing that kept her from reaching peter. She concentrated, and heard another faint groan. Then she heard the same from her father. After jumping out of the way again, she tried to contact and listen to all three of them. When Taranee concentrated, she found that the same power that was blocking her from them, also connected their minds together. Each one could hear the enthralled thoughts of the other two. As soon as one began to recover some free will, the other two would overwhelm him or her. But she could still hear them underneath its power. They were groaning in agony, begging for mercy.

"WHAT HAS SHE DONE TO YOU?" Taranee screamed in horror as she broke off the telepathy.

Peter then lunged at her with the knife. She was still in shock so she barely noticed until the knife was almost in her chest. Instinctively, she raised her hand with fire swirling, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt her brother, so she weakly forced his knife to the side, causing him to plunge it into her shoulder. At first, she didn't feel anything. Then the pain was overwhelming when she turned her head and saw it. She screamed in pain, looking into Peter's empty eyes. Taranee's scream managed to shock Peter enough for him to speak. His eyes went back to normal and he pleaded with her. "Taranee…please…you have to kill us…" was all he could say before his eyes went back to the way they were and he pulled the knife out of her shoulder.

"No!" she shouted with a swirl of emotions, anger, pain, and fear, plus the physical pain of her wound. But then Peter came back, and she raised her hand and melted his knife, then she punched him in the stomach, making him fall backwards. With her parents on both sides, she jumped on top of the island counter and ran into the living room. The three of them followed her in, when Theresa grabbed a chair and ran at her. Taranee instinctively raised her hand and pushed the chair away, setting it on fire. Theresa fell back onto Lionel, pushing both into a tapestry on the wall. The tapestry fell on top of them and caught fire. They both screamed in pain, and Taranee screamed as well, but then she heard another scream. It was peter, running at her with an expensive bottle of brandy from the shelf. Fire was still coming from her hands when she tried to push him back, sending fire at him. The fire caused the bottle to break, making all the brandy catch fire as it spilled over his face and shirt. He then screamed in pain as he fell onto the carpet.

The entire house was catching fire now as smoke filled the room. Taranee was so stricken that she forgot about her wound as she ran out the door, not looking back as tears ran down her face. If she had looked back, she would have seen smoke and flames coming out of the windows, and a trail of blood if she looked more closely. She ran into the street trying to get away, away from danger, and away from what had just happened. However, due to exhaustion and her loss of blood, she collapsed on the pavement. Just before she lost consciousness, one thought fully settled in her mind: she had just burned her family, her mother, her father, and her big brother. Alive.

When she woke up, she found her wound was healed, but had an itch in her back. She wouldn't learn that it was a tattoo of the fire symbol until after she escaped from Hay Lin's mansion and found Caleb. It was also thanks to Caleb that she chose to continue living, and fighting.

_End Flashback._

Taranee finished crying and put the picture back on a table before Nigel returned. When he walked in with Georgi, he could see that she looked troubled. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"…yeah…" she sighed softly, not really looking at either of them.

"I think you should get to your homework." Nigel said to Georgi. She quickly went to her room to do just that. With her out of the room, he moved closer. "Are you sure?" he asked with a sympathetic voice.

She sighed again, looking distantly across the room. "Its fine…I just…thought about…" Nigel could see where she was looking, towards the old family picture.

He looked back and held her. "I know they'd be proud of you." He said. Taranee just cried into his shoulder.

That night, when she and Nigel went to bed together, she went into what was clearly an uneasy sleep. But then she began to breathe more peacefully as she went into an unforgettable dream…

….

There was white all around her. Above the white walls, she could see blue sky and clouds. . Looking down at her body, Taranee could see that she was wearing a white kimono that went down to her ankles. There was no doubt as to where she was. It was Kandrakar. But why was she here? Did Will summon her? Is it just a lucid dream? No, it can't be just a dream.

Soon enough, she could see a figure approaching her. Once the distinctive red hair came into view, she heard a familiar voice. "Welcome, Taranee."

Taranee rushed and embraced her. "Will!" She exclaimed as they both hugged. "Thank you…" she whispered "…for making me human again…"

"Once a Guardian, always a Guardian." Will responded. "Oh, and this is definitely real. You're still asleep in your bed, but this is no ordinary dream." Will said as they broke off from each other. Taranee looked at her questioningly. "I suppose you're wondering why I've brought you here…"

Now she began to wonder. Could something be wrong? Will did ask her to become her advisor, so was there some kind of emergency? However, Will didn't let her wonder for very long.

"…someone wants to say goodbye…" she said as she disappeared. Now Taranee was more confused than ever. A huge set of doors behind her opened, revealing another white room, but the light shining towards her was too blinding for her to make anything out, so she walked through it…

…she walked into another grand room, filled with light. As she walked inside, she saw three figures, all dressed in the same Kandrakarian robes. *_Is this the council?*_ she thought. But then she saw who they were. An African-American man, an Asian woman, and a mixed young man with his hair in dreadlocks. She couldn't believe her eyes! She could barely speak as she ran towards them.

"Taranee…" Theresa exclaimed as they embraced.

"Mom!" she shouted as tears ran down her face. For a second, she thought, *_are these tears real? Am I crying back in my bed too? How can I even be crying here anyway If I'm not really here? Why am I even thinking about that at a time like this?*_ Lionel and Peter hugged her from the sides as she couldn't stop crying in happiness. She looked at both of them. "Dad…Peter…" she could barely say as she was overwhelmed with joy.

Theresa gently put her hands on Taranee's shoulders as she gradually broke off the hug, so she could talk to her. When she looked at her mother, she remembered that terrible night. "I…I…" but Theresa hushed her.

"We want you to know that we forgive you…" She said. Taranee just whimpered as she hugged her again. "…and we're proud of you." She continued as they separated again.

"Yeah, how could I ever guess I had a super hero for a daughter?" Lionel joked. Taranee silently hugged him, which he gladly returned.

"I love you Dad!" she spoke through her tears.

"And I've always loved you."

"I'm sorry…I know you raised me never to lie and-"

"Oh come on, sis…" Peter interjected. "…if anyone's got a good excuse for that, it's you."

"Peter!" She said as she moved over and he lifted her up off the ground. "Big bro…"

"Little sis…"

"…Forever." They both said together.

"We're all proud of everything you've done, Taranee." Theresa assured her. "And we're proud of the life you're living now."

"I always knew you were going to grow up to help people." Loinel said. "And trust me, a lot of people are going to need you."

"Your friends need you already." Theresa said. "And Georgi needs you, more than you know."

"And please, quit worrying about your exams. You'll do great." Peter added.

"I just wish it could have been different…" Taranee admitted.

"Ssshhh…" Theresa said to comfort her. "As you can see, we're fine now, and you'll always be our little girl."

"Thank you…" she whispered.

"Unfortunately, it's time for you to return to Earth."

"We don't have much time to say goodbye, Taranee." Lionel said.

"I know." She replied, tears coming back to her eyes.

"Just know that we love you, and we're very proud of you." Theresa said. Taranee watched as the light around them grew brighter.

"Goodbye Taranee." They each said as they slowly vanished into the light.

"Goodbye…" She answered…

…..

"Goodbye" Nigel heard Taranee whisper. Her eyes fluttered open, and she felt a wetness beside her head. She realized that her pillow was stained with tears.

"Hey, everything alright?" Nigel asked as he slowly woke up.

Taranee breathed deeply for a few seconds, then answered. "Yes…" with a look of relief and joy on her face. Then she moved in to kiss him deeply.


End file.
